panto

/ˈpæntəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpæntəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpan-(ˌ)tō/ (ame, mw)

panto — noun

1. an informal British name for a comic theatre show with songs, dancing, and audie

1.名詞C1
釋義

an informal British name for a comic theatre show with songs, dancing, and audience shouting, usually built around a well-known fairy tale for families at Christmas time

例句

Every winter, Femi takes his nieces to the town panto in Bristol.

British informal noun: go to the panto

This year's panto turns Jack and the Beanstalk into a loud school fundraiser.

panto based on a familiar fairy tale

同義詞
  • pantomime

    the full form; more neutral and slightly more formal

  • Christmas show

    broader and not limited to the British fairy-tale format

文法句型

go to the panto

be in the panto

the local panto

用法筆記

Used mainly in British English as an everyday shortening of pantomime in this sense. Common nearby patterns are go to the panto, be in the panto, and local panto when people talk about a Christmas outing or community production.

常見錯誤

❌The school is doing a panto of Hamilton this winter.
✅The school is doing a musical of Hamilton this winter.
💡A panto is a British Christmas fairy-tale show, not just any musical play.

2. an informal word for mime or silent acting that gets meaning across through body

2.名詞C1
釋義

an informal word for mime or silent acting that gets meaning across through body movement and facial expression instead of speech; also a short performance in that style

例句

Hamza explained the broken lift through panto when the music was too loud.

through panto: silent communication

In drama club, Minho did a short panto about losing his train ticket.

countable use: do a panto

同義詞
  • mime

    the more usual everyday word for this art or technique

  • silent acting

    a plain descriptive phrase rather than a set dictionary term

反義詞
  • speech

    uses spoken words instead of movement

文法句型

use panto

through panto

do a panto

用法筆記

This sense means mime or wordless acting and is much less common than sense 1. Use it for movement-based communication or a brief silent performance, not for the British Christmas theatre tradition.

常見錯誤

❌He gave us a panto speech from the stage.
✅He gave us a panto performance from the stage.
💡This sense is wordless, so it cannot be a speech.